Rant: That fancy kitchen supply store in Portland changed my mind about cheap knives

I always figured a $40 knife block set was fine for prep work. Then I stopped by Kitchen Kaboodle in Portland last Tuesday and tried a Wusthof chef's knife they had out for demo. The way it sliced through a tomato without any pressure made me realize I've been fighting my blades for years. The weight and balance felt completely different from the cheap stamped steel I've been using. Anyone else think good knives are worth the extra cash or am I overthinking this?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony24d ago

Oh come on, you KNOW that tomato test is basically a trap. They SET IT UP that way so you'd feel like a caveman with your Walmart knife set. Next thing you know you're dropping $150 on a SINGLE blade and suddenly everything you own feels like a butter knife in comparison. I fell for it too, walked out with a Santoku I didn't need and my wallet crying in the corner. Now I can't even look at my old knife block without feeling embarrassed for it. It's like owning a rusty spoon after you've held something that actually CUTS. So no, you're not overthinking it, you're just broke now like the rest of us.

jamesroberts23d ago

@the_anthony man you nailed it. I bought one of those fancy Japanese knives online and the first thing I did was try it on a tomato. It slid through like butter and I honestly felt like I'd been living in the dark ages my whole life. Now my old knives look like garden tools to me, and I can't bring myself to use them for anything more serious than opening packages. My wallet still hasn't forgiven me, but at least my tomatoes don't get squished anymore.

olivia39823d ago

Honestly, does anyone else think owning nice knives just means you accidentally turn into a total snob about tomato texture? Like, I used to just smash them with my cheap blade and call it a day, but now I'm out here judging produce based on how it feels to slice it. Tbh, my bank account is still mad at me for the Wusthof I bought last year, but every time I cut a pepper without fighting it, I feel like a kitchen god. Ngl, I've started using my old knives for opening mail and scraping paint off my windowsill, which is probably not what they're for but at least they're useful somewhere. Anyway, welcome to the broke but bougie knife club, where you'll never look at a tomato the same way again.